Diorskin Star Studio Foundation SPF 30

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Ingredients

Brand Overview

This highly-hyped foundation has a highly airbrushed image of beautiful actress Natalie Portman at its center, and although her skin looks flawless (which is true for most foundation ads), this foundation contains nothing miraculous, special, or all that different from other good foundations sold today. Don't take the Star Studio name too literally—this isn't your ticket to the big time!

Moving past the hype and Portman's punim, this liquid foundation provides broad spectrum sun protection that includes titanium dioxide for reliable UVA screening—we're off to a grand start, especially since this feels wonderfully silky and blends so easily it practically blends itself! Once set, this provides light to medium coverage and has a dimensional matte finish that makes skin look soft-focused, smooth, yet still natural. This is absolutely not a heavy-looking foundation or one that's tricky to blend evenly!

The letdown comes from the lingering, noticeable fragrance this has. The fragrance plus fragrant ingredient like linalool and limonene do pose a risk of irritation, making this less desirable, especially for applying near the sensitive eyes. If not for the fragrance issue, this foundation would've easily earned our highest rating, as it's otherwise great for normal to oily, breakout-prone skin.

One more highlight is the range of shades for light (but not porcelain) to dark skin tones! The dark shades, in particular, are beautiful without a hint of ash or grayness. Most of the light to medium colors are neutral to slightly warm (yellow or golden) but use caution and definitely check results in daylight if shades 022 or 032 seem to be the best match for your skin (the former is slightly pink, the latter slightly peach). Avoid the ultra-peachy 033; no one's skin is this color—at least it shouldn't be!

Pros:

Provides broad spectrum sun protection.

Beautifully silky, highly blendable texture.

Dimensional, soft-focus matte finish perfects without looking heavy.

Impressive shade range, including options for dark skin tones.

Cons:

Formula contains fragrance that lingers and poses a risk of irritation, especially if applied near the eyes.

Strengths:Nearly all of the SPF-related products offer sufficient UVA protection; a few extraordinary foundations and mascaras; a good liquid concealer; an excellent powder eyeshadow set; some good lipsticks and eyeliners.

Weaknesses: Expensive; lackluster moisturizers and serums that contain more fragrance and preservatives than elegant ingredients; irritating toners and self-tanners; ordinary masks; lack of products to address the needs of those with blemishes or skin discolorations; some foundations with SPF ratings that are too low; mostly average makeup brushes.

If you're looking for a clear-cut case of style winning out over substance, here it is. The Dior name is synonymous with couture fashion and countless other lifestyle accoutrements, but they continue to falter when it comes to establishing a first-rate collection of skin-care products. Of course, the company believes their products are the crme de la crme and if we're judging on aesthetics alone, we see what they mean. However, what's inside the gorgeous components is what counts for your skin, and Dior's formulas leave a lot to be desired. On one hand, it's great that all of their sunscreens contain sufficient UVA protection; on the other, all of their moisturizers either leave skin wanting more or contain problematic ingredients with no skin-redeeming qualities.

Fragrance is huge for Dior, and a visit to their counter attests to this, as fragrances line the counter right beside the skin-care tester unit. It would be better for skin if the two categories were kept separate, but in most cases the amount of fragrance added to Dior's skin-care products is greater than the token amounts of state-of-the-art ingredients (and the effectiveness of most of those is further diminished by jar packaging). If you wouldn't put perfume on your face, think twice about applying it in the form of an expensive skin-care product.

On the plus side, there are a few very good products to consider if you don't mind spending the extra money. If you're a fan of Dior's fashions and want to experiment with their cosmetic products, you'll find that their makeup outshines the skin care and has improved in ways that keep the panache while making genuine improvements. Despite all manner of claims to the contrary (everything from purifying pores to lifting skin to the point that sagging is a thing of the past), the most attractive part of Dior's formulas is how they're dressed, not how they perform.

For more information about Dior, call (212) 931-2200 or visit www.dior.com.

Dior Makeup

Always fashion-forward, Dior's makeup is more well-designed and attractive than ever, offering standout products in almost every category. The most notable change over the past several years has been Dior's improved foundation formulas and shades. It's now the exception rather than the rule to find overtly peach, pink, or rose-toned shades among Dior's many complexion-enhancing options. Even better, Dior has recently introduced foundations to compensate for its previous too-low SPF efforts, with formulas available in SPF 15, 20 and 25, a couple of which even include UVA-protecting ingredients. Such a move shows that while Dior may still struggle with an overall lackluster skin care line, they are at least working to meet dermatologist-recommended benchmarks for sun protection.

You will also be very impressed with Dior's powder blush, eyeshadows (though their shiny finish is not the best for Baby Boomer eyes), the DiorSkin concealer, brow gel, and most of the mascaras. If you're a fan of lip gloss and are willing to tolerate a double-digit price, you'll be in cosmetics heaven wading through all the lip-shining options here. On the flip side, neither the standard pencils nor most of the lipsticks are worth the money. With any designer-based line built on artifice, price is more than a matter of dollars. It's indicative of a companys image and remains a prestige factor that often speaks louder than the products themselves. Dior is guilty of maximizing its assets to play up its image, but with their makeup line the good news for you is that, for the most part, they really pay attention to whats inside all the luxe containers, too.

One more note: Diors makeup tester units are much more accessible and user-friendly than for previous editions of this book. We also found their counter staff to be more accommodating and definitely less condescending than several other European-bred lines.

Note: Dior is categorized as a brand that tests on animals because its products are sold in China. Although Dior does not conduct animal testing for its products sold elsewhere, the Chinese government requires imported cosmetics be tested on animals, so foreign companies retailing there must comply. This requirement is why some brands state that they dont test on animals unless required by law. Animal rights organizations consider cosmetic companies retailed in China to be brands that test on animals, and so does the Beautypedia Research Team.

About the Experts

The Beautypedia team consists of skin care and makeup experts personally trained by the original Cosmetics Cop and best-selling beauty author, Paula Begoun. We’re fascinated by skin care and makeup products and thrilled when they meet or exceed our expectations, but we’re also disappointed when they fail to perform as claimed, are wildly overpriced, or contain ingredients scientific research has proven can hurt skin.

Our mission has always been to help you find the best products for your skin, no matter your budget or preferences. Beautypedia’s thorough and insightful reviews cut through the hype and provide reliable recommendations for all ages, skin types, and skin tones.

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